Tag Archives: repair brickwork

If the brickwork of your house is looking a little messy, never fear – rendering might do the trick. Learn all about brick rendering with this guide and take a look at this link for brick and concrete tools.

Prepare the Brick

Before applying any new rendering, you’ll need to prepare the brickwork. Using a firm brush, brush the brickwork to loosen and remove any dust or debris. Then, you’ll need to brush PVA glue mixed with some water liberally all over the brickwork. Use the brush to get the glue into all of the nooks and crannies of the brickwork.

Choosing the Rendering Mix

Choose a rendering mix that is suitable for your environment. For example, if you’re in a location that’s particularly wet or windy, you’ll need a specific weather-resistant mix. Choose a render in a colour and texture that matches the existing brickwork and that blends well with the surrounding environment.

Mixing the Render

Follow the packet instructions to mix up the cement. Put the sand into the mixer and then add the cement and cover the mixer. Once well mixed, you can add the water. Before adding the water, add a little water retarder and plasticiser to the water and mix really well. Add the water to the cement mix gradually, being gentle so that the render mix doesn’t splash out of the mixer.

Tips for Applying Rendering

The number of coats of rendering you’ll need differs depending on the finish you’re looking for, but generally, each coat of rendering should be 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.

Use thin layers. Using a layer that is too thick means that the render is likely to fall off the wall, so it’s best that you use multiple thin layers instead.

The first layer will be an undercoat. Once you’ve applied the render, use the edge of the trowel, a heavy duty fork or a key to score the surface of the render in diagonal parallel lines about an inch apart. Leave to dry.

Once you’ve applied the undercoat and once dry, use a brush to coat the brick and render with another layer of PVA glue. Leave to dry.

Second, third and even fourth layers should be no thicker than the first layer and should all be scored.

Once you’ve applied the final coat, use a trowel to ensure that the render is as smooth as possible. Then, use a float to smooth the render further.

As the final layer of render starts to dry completely, if you see any cracks (this may have been caused by the render shrinking as it dries), spray the render with water and smooth the cracks back with the trowel.